Katie Boulter suffers unlucky Wimbledon snub despite being seeded
WIMBLEDON — Katie Boulter will enjoy a series of firsts when starting her Wimbledon campaign against Tatjana Maria on Tuesday, although she would be right to feel aggrieved that she has only been scheduled out on Court 3.
The British No 1 is seeded at Wimbledon for the first time, having required a wild card for entry last year, when she reached the third round for a second consecutive year.
Boulter is also competing at Wimbledon for the fourth time in a row – a first for her at a single grand slam – while it is also her fifth straight slam appearance overall, the best run of her career.
A recent winner at the Nottingham Open, where she defended her title, Boulter is arguably unlucky therefore to miss out on the show courts for her first-round match at Wimbledon.
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Emma Raducanu was given Centre Court billing on Monday, while Tuesday’s order of play includes the men’s British No 1 Jack Draper on No 2 Court.
It’s all the more surprising given No 5 seed Jessica Pegula is opening on No 2 Court, with men’s No 6 seed Andrey Rublev also in action before Draper.
Nevertheless, Boulter will want to give organisers and British fans alike a reminder of her quality as she targets reaching the second week of a grand slam for the first time.
Boulter, who also won her first WTA 500 tournament in San Diego in March, has the benefit like all seeds of avoiding a fellow seeded opponent until the third round.
“That’s a credit to my hard work I have put in this whole year to get myself in that position,” Boulter said.
“The depth and the level of women’s tennis right now I think is at its highest point, so it really is tough to win rounds.
“But this is the best tennis I have been playing for a very long time. I think ever actually in my career.
“I think I have been building this for a very long time in terms of the way that I have been playing more consistently and my strength and the power that I’m bringing each time I step on the court.”
Katie Boulter defended her Nottingham title (Photo: PA)
Boulter is very much enjoying her resurgence on the tour, reaching a career-high ranking of No 27 back in March, and currently 29th.
A stress fracture in her back in 2019 had checked Boulter’s development and initial rise up the rankings, prompting a four-year spell outside of the top 100.
There were a few promising signs in 2022, when she beat Karolina Pliskova at Eastbourne for her first win against a top 10 player, but it was only really last year where Boulter came into her own.
A run to the Surbiton semi-finals resulted in Boulter overtaking Raducanu in the rankings to become British No 1 for the first time, and she backed that up by winning in Nottingham the very same week in June for her first WTA title.
After then reaching the Wimbledon third round, she broke into the top 50 for the first time in September after winning her first match at the US Open.
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As well as winning in Nottingham and San Diego this year, Boulter joined forces with Raducanu in April to ensure Great Britain beat France to reach the Billie Jean King Cup finals.
Boulter also made the quarter-finals at Eastbourne last month, where she lost to world No 7 Jasmine Paolini.
And so, with a higher ranking ultimately leading to more doors opening, Boulter has seized those opportunities to work her way into the top 32 for Wimbledon, just 12 months after requiring a wild card for her home grand slam.
“I’m realistic,” she said of her Wimbledon ambitions. “There are some tough draws out there. I’m really just looking forward to getting out there and enjoying it.
“Obviously first time seeded for me, which was a goal of mine, and is a bonus for me, but I’ve got a long way to go yet. I’ve got a lot of work to be done until I get to a point that I’m very happy with.
“Now it’s all about going out and enjoying it and trusting that everything I have done in the past year, this past five years, has started to put itself in place. That’s the most important thing for me is that I go out and trust.”
Boulter also relishes the grass-court season, a swing that may be short but was ultimately pivotal in boosting her own belief 12 months ago.
“I think it suits my game,” she added. “I do feel like the weapons I have marry up well on these courts. I think I embrace it a lot.
“I enjoy playing on this surface, and that does really help. It helps you in the big moments, because it kind of relaxes you. I think I’m a player that kind of needs to be relaxed, and then I play my best tennis.”